Wiltshire farmers have denied a string of animal welfare charges which relate to how they looked after several poorly pigs and piglets.

Roger Keen Farms Ltd faces 11 charges under the Animal Welfare Act and Animal By-Product regulations. 

Company directors Roger and Rosemary Keen, of Sandridge Farm in Bromham, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them.

It is alleged that on or before August 25, 2021, the couple caused four pigs to suffer unnecessarily by failing to ensure that veterinary treatment was sought for the animals, who were suffering from severe septic arthritis involving multiple joints, cannibalism-related damage to the tail base area and perineum, and severe long-term injuries.

Other charges allege that the team on Sandridge Farm in Bromham did not take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of animals for which they were responsible were met to the extent required by good practice.

On September 1, 2021, the company is said to have failed to protect four pigs from pain, suffering, injury, and disease by not ensuring that its Veterinary Health Plan for the care or treatment of tail bites was followed, and failed to ensure that two piglets and one pig were isolated from other pigs and each other when they had health conditions.

On or before September 22, the farmers allegedly failed to seek veterinary advice or treatment for three pigs, three piglets, and three unweaned piglets that had long-term wounds or severe conditions and may not have provided a suitable environment that protected pigs from risk of injury by allowing the animals to access environmental hazards like an exposed drain hole and jagged metal with sharp edges.

On the same date, they are accused of failing to comply with an animal by-product requirement by failing to dispose of a cannibalised piglet carcass and piglet bones without undue delay.

The farmers allegedly did not take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of pigs housed in the Fattening Sheds between August 25 and September 22, 2021, and the Old Nursery Sheds on or before September 22 were met to the extent required by good practice, in that the company is said to have failed to ensure that the piglets had access to a suitable and clean environment.

The Keens are next due to appear at Swindon Crown Court on July 7 for the start of their trial by jury.